1. Community
  2. Diabetes and hormone problems
  3. Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism, levothyroxine and hair

Posted , 17 users are following.

valrae16152
valrae16152

I have a question that will sound crazy to some but is ruining my own well being. I have been on levothyroxine 50 mcg for about 2 1/2 years. I experience alot of the normal side effects. Weight gain, can't lose weight, dry skin etc etc. My question, does anyone have a problem with bleaching your hair. I have brown hair and have it stripped down to blonde with foils (highlighted). I can't get the color to bleach down to blonde anymore. I've tried 3 different times and its just not working anymore. I'm so very fustrated. It looks blonde right after done but as soon as I wash it, it looks brownish color. Does anyone have this problem? Does anyone think levo medication or thyroid problems could be the cause of this. I know your hair can thin out due to this condition but would it affect the highlighting or coloring your hair. Its bad enough I feel like crap about myself dealing with hypo now I have to deal with looking in the mirror and hating my hair. I know sounds vain and insignificant huh? Please let me know if anyone is experiencing this. I would really appreciate it. Thanks

0 likes, 23 replies

23 Replies

Next
  • mary59914
    mary59914 valrae16152

    Posted

    I've no idea but I also am on 50mcg and had my hair dyed (getting rid of blond, going a darker colour) last week and its awful!! Hairdresser said it would have no reddish tint and its like red chestnut brown - way too dark too for my skin tone.

    It IS bad enough to feel unwell but to have thinner hair that looks terrible is the icing on the cake! I want to curl up and hide now!!

    • valrae16152
      valrae16152 mary59914

      Posted

      So sorry to hear about your hair experience. I think were on to something here about thyroid issues and the levothyroxine. That's when my hair problems all started. I'm like you. I look in the mirror and want to cry!!
  • patricia22367
    patricia22367 valrae16152

    Posted

    Not insignificant at all! It's a fact that you will feel better if you feel good about how you look!

    I'm on 125 mcg and I bleach my hair white/blond - it's naturally medium brown and gray. I do it myself at home with Feria Ultimate Platinum and I did have to bleach it twice to get it to go all the way blond, and I am going to have to do it a third time to get it to go all the way platinum.

    Are you doing yours yourself or do you have it done?

    Also, I get lots of good hair advice from the "hair crazy forum".

    • valrae16152
      valrae16152 patricia22367

      Posted

      I'm more like you Liza. I have brown and I love my Platinium/blonde. I go to the salon and pay big bucks. I always have to go back a second time to get my hair lighter. It just won't take like it used to. And I know how some medications can mess with your body and hair. Thanks for the advice on "hair crazy forum". I'll be checking that out. I never tried doing it myself. Only in the seventies when we highlighted it blond by pulling it thru the hair cap home kit. Lol. But it worked. Maybe I'll look for that! Have a good day.  
  • shellyC19
    shellyC19 valrae16152

    Posted

    Hello Valrae:

    My name is Shelly and I am a nurse in the USA.  I have Hashimoto's thyroid disease since 1987.

    I have my hair done every 7 weeks with the stripper and foils. Sometimes the whole head and other time a partial.  It can be longer for me due to the thyroid meds and my hairdresser places a boster packet in the stripper and once told me she uses Hydrogen Peroxide 30% availble to hair salon's only.

    I have to sit under a dryer for about 30 minutes also and bake as I call it...LOL. My hair is a dark brown naturally and because meds can coat the hair it can take longer than a person who does not have meds.   Other meds can block the stripper,  like blood pressure and Diabetic oral pills and some other meds. 

    Also use shampoo made for color treated hair, it helps it last longer.  It has a better PH balance and helps keep the color for people that dye and strip the hair.  Also condition your hair with a conditioner made for color treated hair.

    Try and ask your hairdresser to use a booster in the stripper.

    I hope this helps,

    Shelly

     

  • Jill6969
    Jill6969 valrae16152

    Posted

    I too have had hair problems on levo but I'm convinced it's because levo is not the correct treatment for hypothyroidism. The thyroid is too complex to be treated with just one of the missing hormones. Even the dosage is very inaccurate most of the time.
    • rabiah15342
      rabiah15342 Jill6969

      Posted

      Hi Jill,

      I find your comments on the medication prescribed very interesting.

      I have no hair problems but find myself difficult to lose weight - even a minimum amount of weight. 

      Do you have any suggestions on correcting the medication issue?

      Shelley, as a health professional's input will be much appreciated.

      Thanking you all.

      Regards.

      Rabiah

    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 rabiah15342

      Posted

      Hello Rabiah and Jill:

      There are many thyroid meds on the market but in the UK they like and seem to only carry Levothyroxine in the formularies there.  I am in the USA.

      I have been on Levo, (Sythroid in USA), Liotrix a T3 and T4 combo and Armour thyroid, and then Cytomel or Liothyronine which is just T3 alone.

      Each one of us needs the right med for our bodies.  I had poor TSH and T3 and T4 levels on Levo.  My doctor switched me and since I have had this disease since 1987, I found the right one for me in 2009. Many trials and errors. I kept trying and of course the last one Cytomel, was the one that worked on me.

      Natural thyroid meds such as Thyroid S and Armour and Nature's Thyroid and Thyroid W, are made from a pig's gland which is very close to our human one.  The pig can't be licensed as it is a natural animal so many places are afraid of it as they are not under licensed agreements which is stupid. All of the above are fine medications.

      In the USA we can get our doctors to order it easily as we pay for insurance which covers a wide selection of meds. We pay a co-pay for each med and is under 10 dollars.  Under socialized medicine it is a "take it or leave it" plan and someone decided that only LEVO will be the drug in their formulary.

      Levo  works on a lot of people and you can lose weight by doing some exercise  and diet control.  If Levo does not make your TSH normal then you may need to purchase a natural Dessicated thyroid med (NDT)  outside of NHS.

      Levo is a man made T4 preparation and the idea is your thyroid will convert it into useable T3 which is the hormone the body must have.  The problem some of us have is making our thyroids do the converting.  some reasons is the gland is damaged by autoimmune problems or nodules or cysts in the thyroid.

      I hope this helps and if you have any questions just ask,

      Shelly

       

    • Jill6969
      Jill6969 shellyC19

      Posted

      Thanks Shelly - I was wondering what meds you found best for you. Sounds like you tried every possible route. At first on T3/T4 combo I felt much better but a year later symptoms are returning. My consultant allows me to adjust the T4 only but this does not seem effective. I'm considering buying NDT but I would have to self medicate.
    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 Jill6969

      Posted

      Hello Jill:

      NDT's come in a measurement system called grains and 1 grain is about 60 or 65mg, which is a low dose by the way.  Most people take 90 to 180mg a day, but our thyroids make 4 hormones in total and with the NDT's we get all 4 since our friend the pig has all 4 also.

      I did much better on NDT's for years and my only major problem was the T4 in it.  For  me that was my only issue with it.  My T3 was good by the way when I was on it.   I guess my thyroid just can't make the converting part work, most likely due to some small nodules I have.

      For many on this forum, it works fine. So if you have to give it a good trial.

      Keep me posted on how you do.

      Shelly

       

  • Jill6969
    Jill6969 valrae16152

    Posted

    It is a complex issue and each person will vary. Many do fine on levo (T4) because they are able to convert it to the active hormone T3...so long as the dosage is right. Most doctors attend religiously to blood tests instead of symptoms and refuse to increase meds even though obvious symptoms remain. I fought for years to have T3 added to mine and though much better  on this combination I'm still not quite right. 
  • laura11452
    laura11452 valrae16152

    Posted

    So glad I read this thread and know Iam not on my own.. I did lose my hair for a while at the start before diagnosis.  I am on 100 mg Levo and I have went from good healthy glossy hair. To dry frizzy hair that doesn't shine anymore, gets greasy far quicker even though its in bad condition. If I try to curl it a bit with straightners it won't hold.. It just looks dead all the time even after being washed..

     

    • celine43846
      celine43846 laura11452

      Posted

      Hi Laura, I am new to this site. I have the same issues - hair is dry, shedding and dead.

      Does anyone have any recommendations? Is there anything that helps?

  • amy5665
    amy5665 valrae16152

    Posted

    Hi. My name is Amy. I'm new to this forum. I googled this same problem you are having trying to color your hair, and like yours wouldn't go blonder anymore. I have Hashimotos hypothyroidism and take 400mcg of Synthroid a day and have been for 4years, but only recently have had trouble achieving the whiter blonde look. I've seen my same stylist for 20 years and she's baffled. She feels terrible like she messed up, but she used the same thing she always has. My hair took on a brassy orange color this last time and it's horrible! So we're looking for solutions ASAP. Have you had any luck??

    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 amy5665

      Posted

      Hello Amy:

      My name is Shelly and I am a nurse in the USA.  I also have Hashimoto's Thyroid disease since 1987. 

      I get highlights to my hair about every 7 weeks,  and Thyroid medication and meds for Blood Pressure and some others can coat the hair strand and make it hard to go to blonde.  It blocks the dye or stripper!  Meds can  get into all cells in the body and our hair absorbs it. 

      The hair dresser or colorist needs to be told you have  a thyroid med and they can add boosters  (they have to add it in)  to the dye or stripper chemical.  My gal does tt and my hair goes blonde now.

      All meds can effect the hair and many also need the hair dryer for 30 minutes or more to help the color or stripper take it down.  That is what my colorist does.  It can take 30 mins under the dryer to change to blonde from dark brown.

      Also toner can be used to even out bad color or uneven color.

      I hope this helps.

      Shelly

       

Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.